


Wings for Wheels

by cherryvanilla



Series: Yuletide Assignments and Treats [2]
Category: Thunder Road (Bruce Springsteen)
Genre: Drama, F/M, First Time, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-19
Updated: 2009-12-19
Packaged: 2017-10-04 14:42:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherryvanilla/pseuds/cherryvanilla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Sit tight, take hold, Thunder Road."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wings for Wheels

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ishie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ishie/gifts).



> Liberties were taken with the release date of Badlands in order to fit the setting of the story. You can change the name of 'Jesse' to 'Bruce' if that suits your reading pleasure better. The only reason he isn't Bruce is because I wanted to set the story in 1973 and Bruce was already had record deals and albums out by then.. Some may notice one lyric is changed. This was taken from the unplugged version of Thunder Road, which is my favorite version and also the version I feel suits this story best. This is my favorite song ever and it was an honor to write this story.

I. _You ain't a beauty but hey, you're alright_

Jesse slams the hood of his car down and wipes the sweat off his brow. The sun is particularly unforgiving today and that's only partly due to the leather he dons. His eyes catch a shimmer off the ice cream parlor's window across the street. He sees her, head down, poking at her sundae as if it's a problem to be solved. He knows who she is. Mary Kelly. She was two years behind him in school and a bit of a mousy creature. He remembers her frame was thin and her face and hair were fair. Now she reminds him of Sissy Spacek in Badlands which he saw at the cinema the other night. He couldn't get the film out of his mind and feared he identified far too much to its lead character than is healthy.

He was pretty sure Mary worked at her father's hardware store. He was positive she hasn't gone to college. In their quaint beach front community, there were two types of kids: The Richies, who were born with a built-in trust fund, and The Slummers, who would essentially be slumming it their entire lives (or so they were told) since their parents couldn't afford a college education. When you're trained to think of yourself a certain way since you were 10, it's hard to break the pattern. He and Mary were definitely Slummers. And yet, he's never said two words to the girl. He preferred your standard blonde big breasted cheerleader, dated a few, slept with more, and never failed to be bored two months in. Since graduating, the girls have been few and far between. His life has consisted of working at his father's garage, wishing he could afford to move out of his parents' house, and practicing his guitar.

He crosses the street, eyes fixed on Mary's jawline and the curve of her mouth as she raises the cold ice cream to her lips. In this moment, and for reasons he cannot fathom, she is stunning.

He opens the door to the shop and the bell rings upon his entrance. The stool next to her is free and he plops down.

"Double Chocolate Malt," he call out, glancing casually at her. She barely notices his arrival, and it's only now he realizes she's reading a book.

"Hey, whatcha reading?"

She visibly starts and looks at him like she's seeing him for the first time. Maybe she is? Instead of answering she closes the book, her finger acting as a bookmark, and tilts it in his direction.

"Revolutionary Road", he answers for her. "What's it about?"

"It's about the traps of suburban life in the 1950's and the desire for something more," Mary replies, patiently.

When Mary finally looks at him he knows they are both lost in the same thoughts.  
Mary blinks hard and when her eyes refocus, they are now devoid of emotion and merely questioning. "You're ... Jesse McPhee, right?"

He nods as his malt arrives and takes a sip. Before he can say anything else, a teenager bounds up beside Mary.

"Hey Mary!"

"Hey, Charlie," she replies, flatly.

"Listen, there's this school function coming up, like a retro do-wop dance. And I was wondering if you'd go with me?"

Mary tucks a string of hair behind her ear and closes her book, turning to face him. "Charlie, I graduated 4 years ago ... what makes you think I'd want to go?"

"But you're the best dancer, Mary! And it's a contest. I really wanna win!"

"No, Charlie. Did my brother put you up to this?"

Charlie lowers his eyes. "Well, Danny suggested I ask you 'cos he knows how good you are! It's only one night, Mary, please?"

Mary opens her book again. "Forget it, Charlie. Just ... go find a girl your own age, okay?"

The kid walks away like a sad puppy. Jesse watches at Mary, unable to pinpoint her mood.

"So ... you're a good dancer, huh?" He feels like a moron.

When she turns to him, her eyes radiate annoyance. "What do you want, Jesse? You've never even spoken to me before. Hell, I didn't even know you were still in town."

"Where am I gonna go?" He mutters without realizing. If she heard him, she doesn't reveal it.

He mentally shakes himself. "Relax, I just wanted to say hi and ... I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go out Friday night." He doesn't know where the words come from. It wasn't his intention upon entering the shop. From the second he saw her in the window it's as if he's been functioning on automatic. He's not exactly sure what's happening, but it's the most alive he's felt in years.

During his own internal monologue, Mary searches his face and is apparently satisfied with what she finds there.

"Don't ask me why, but I accept."

"Great, uh," he grabs a napkin and starts patting his leather jacket,. Mary laughs (a genuine laugh!) and retrieves a pen from her pocketbook. He has her write down her address and phone number and tells her he'll pick her up at 8:00.

Driving home in his Chevrolet he ponders why his life suddenly feels like it just became more complicated.

*******

II. _There were ghosts in the eyes of all the boys you sent away_

Mary fumbles with the zipper on her dress, cursing under her breath. She's been on edge for days and now it's 7:55 on Friday night and Jessie McPhee is about to pick her up and her hand cannot stop shaking. She cannot explain what possessed her to accept. She knows he's your standard rebel: dated every blonde thing that moved, drives fast cars and motorcycles, wants to be a bit too much like James Dean for his own good. Most of all, he's a Slummer.

Mary's had her share of boyfriends, but they weren't anything like Jesse. No, Mary dated The Richies; had done so since she was 14. She never understood why anyone was interested in her … she was always rather plain and not as well built as her classmates. Perhaps she was a mystery to them. Regardless, those were the boys she attracted. Some were well-to-do geeks, others clean cut preppies; all had college funds and would be going to the best schools possible. With each boy, Mary hoped, even from a young age, that they'd be the one to change her life. She wanted a future. She wanted college. She wanted out of Freehold. She didn't know how any of those boys could make that happen. None of them did. Instead, they all just wanted to sleep with her. She turned each of them away until Bobby Reese the night of graduation.

Bobby had taken her out to celebrate afterward. They ate at a rather fancy restaurant and then went for a walk on the beach. Mary was solemn throughout and hardly spoke. Her thoughts had turned to the future; Bobby was going to MiT in the fall and Mary would be stuck in Freehold, trying to find a minimum wage job. Her dad had offhandedly mentioned he could use some help at the store and Mary's heart had sunk into her stomach.

That night in Bobby's car, near the boardwalk and the crashing waves, Mary gave up the last thing she'd been holding on to. She knew it was out of desperation; maybe Bobby would, what? Marry her? Live with her in an apartment off campus? It was foolhardy and pathetic and not a day goes by that Mary doesn't think about that night.

They spent the rest of the summer together but she never slept with him again. If Bobby minded, he didn't show it. Mary now attributes this to his own knowledge that once he left the state he'd never contact her again.

Since that fateful summer, Mary's been on a handful of dates, all of which amounted to nothing. Now, 3 years and 2 months later, on a hot July day in 1973, Jesse McPhee had walked into an ice cream parlor and subsequently, Mary's life.

It was just a first date, she reminded herself. But it didn't matter. For the past few days the anticipation of this night felt like a momentous occasion. And although Mary didn't understand why, she also could not think of it as anything else.

She jumped at the sound of the car horn and said a small prayer that he didn't knock on the door her parents undoubtedly would have answered. Mary took a deep breath and raced out of her house with a casual goodbye and a promise not to be too late.

*******

III. _There's magic in the night_

He takes her to see Badlands because he still can't erase it from his brain. The scent of her perfume fills his nostrils as they sit in the darkened theater, eyes locked to the imagery on the screen. Jesse thinks about putting his arm around her, but decides against it. When they walk out of the theater, their fingers brush.

"Wanna go to the diner?"

"Sure," she replies, and this time when they're fingers brush he's pretty sure it was deliberate.

After ordering, he asks what she thought of the film.

"Haunting… and curiously beautiful."

"Yeah, this was my second time seeing it."

Her forehead creases into a frown. "Oh ... we could have seen something else.."

"No, no. I wanted to take you. I think I'm kind of obsessed with it."

Mary laughs, awkwardly. "Alright then."

Jesse fiddles the fork on the table. "I dunno, I kind of relate to it in some way.."

"Well, you are a bit James Dean-ish, like Holly compared Kit to."

Jesse blushes. "Yeah, well, you remind me of her. Just ... your look."

"Not the naivety?" Mary's half smiling but mostly serious. This is an answer that could hurt.

"I don't think you're naïve ... you do look young, though. You got ID'd!"

Now Mary's smile is reaching her eyes and Jesse breathes a small sigh of relief. The rest of the meal goes rather smoothly. Jesse tells her he's been working for his dad but that's just until his music career gets off the ground.

"I've been playing some small gigs along the shore. I mean, a lot are open mic nites but a few places have actually booked me for weekends. You should come. If you like rock music, that is."

Mary nods around her French fry. "I do. That's … pretty cool, that you have that talent."

"Thanks," he replies. When he looks back up, her eyes are sad again. It's then he realizes she isn't like other girls. There are layers of pain behind her green eyes and it manifests when one least expects. Although Jesse's always known of Mary Kelly, he's never really known her. When he passed her in school, he barely spared her a second glance. Usually, she was walking with some Richie anyway, and therefore he wrote her off as stuck-up bitch with brains. Now, in just two encounters, Jesse feels as though he can read her like a book.

He back-peddles. "Well, what about your dancing? Seems like you're pretty talented too."

Mary shrugs. "It's just something I always did. My parents took the little money they had and put me in ballet when I was younger. From there, I just naturally progressed. I can do a lot of different types of dances, but it's not like it matters. When is that used in life?"

"Well, when is music used in life? When you find a reason to use it."

Mary sighs and shakes her head. "Let's talk about something else, huh? Speaking of music, I loved the scene with Love is Strange, didn't you?"

Jesse lets it go and they talk some more about the film, and other mainstay topics, avoiding anything serious. They spend about two hours in the diner, talking about their likes and dislikes, touching on their childhood and high school, while Jesse becomes more fascinated with his companion. He doesn't suggest going anywhere else after the diner, as he figures she has to get home. He can't tell if she's disappointed or not.

Mary lives at the very end of a dark road, right off the beach. When Jesse's car approaches her house, he notices Mary start to fidget. "Um, you can let me out here, that's fine."

Jesse pulls over onto the side of dirt road and turns off the engine. He should have expected something like. Mary may be a Slummer like he is, but that's not good enough for her parents. They expect more from their little girl. He feels her fingers touch his gently, as if to quell his disappointment.

What Mary doesn't realize is Jessie's not disappointed, not even mad. He just feels indifferent.

"Hey."

He turns cold eyes to her soft voice.

"I just didn't wanna wake them up… it's quiet as the dead out here, you wouldn't believe what wakes me up at night."

Her eyes are completely sincere and he's all at once ashamed at his reaction. More than that, he's scared as to why he cared so much yet tried to mask it as anything but.

"Gotcha," Jesse smiles and it reaches his eyes.

"I had a lot of fun, Jessie. To be honest, I really didn't think I'd like you. So, thank you."

Her hand is still brushing his, and he interlocks their fingers together. "I won't take offense to that. I had a good time, too." He reaches out and tucks her hair behind her ear, then leans in. Her lips are soft under his and they open ever so slightly.

Jessie can see her faint blush on her fair skin even in the darkness. "I'll call you?"

Mary giggles. "Yes, please." He laughs as she gets out of the car and watches her as she walks down the road and out of view. He can't help but to admire the way her dress accentuates her curves. He pictures his hands running up her bare thighs. It's a few minutes before he starts his car.

*******

IV. _Well I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk_

Jesse calls her two days later, inviting her for a walk on the beach. He kisses her on the boardwalk, a slow, long kiss that she feels all the way into her toes. They spend the majority of the next six weeks together and Mary allows herself to admit she has a boyfriend. She tries out the word in front of the mirror one night and it feels odd on her lips. She applies some pale pink lipstick and thinks of Jessie. His eyes, his smile, his touch. "I love him," she whispers to her reflection. And she does. Tonight she's meeting him at a bar on the boardwalk where he has a gig. It'll be the first time she's heard him play.

As she walks into the living room, she hears her father call her name in a stern voice. It's not a question but a command.

She walks up to his chair and he folds the paper he was reading. "Yes, Daddy?"

He looks her up and down. "Your mother and I noticed you've been going out an awful lot lately."

Mary nods.

"We were waiting for you to say something to us, but it doesn't look like that's happening. We assume it's a boy?"

"Yes."

"Tell me about him."

Mary sighs internally. It was only half a lie that she told Jessie that first night. It's true the car would have woken her parents up. But at the same time, she didn't want them to know just yet who she was going out with. She's not ashamed, but she knows her parents. And she knows what's coming.

"His name is Jesse McPhee. He graduated from my school. He's 24. He works at his dad's garage."

Her father considers this. "You know we only want what's best for you, honey."

Mary looks at her feet. Although not unexpected, it's a stab to the heart. "I know," she says quietly. Her parents want "what's best for her". That's all she's ever heard. She's never heard of them wanting her to be happy. What's best for Mary would be marrying some Richie who could provide for her. Once upon a time, she thought that would make her happy. Now, she realizes she just wants to be loved. Her father's response was all she needed to know. He didn't approve but he wouldn't ask her to stop. Not yet, anyway.

"Dad, I gotta go."

"Don't be too late, hon."

She gets into her car and tries not to cry. She won't let it ruin her evening. She gets to The Stone Pony in Asbury Park at 8:58pm. She doesn't see Jesse anywhere. She finds a spot close to the stage and instantly feels out of place. All the women are wearing low cut shirts, tight jeans and are pencil thin. She looks down at her pale pink dress and wonders what Jessie is doing with her. If she lived closer, she'd storm out and throw on jeans and tank top. Just then, Jessie and his band take the stage. She watches as his eyes search the room until falling upon her. He smiles briefly.

His set begins and Mary cannot help but fall in love with his voice and his lyrics. The maturity of his music astounds her. But her mind wanders as the songs go on. She thinks about her father, Jesse, and her place among this music scene. She remembers the blonde girls she'd see on Jesse's arm in high school. It doesn't add up why he'd like her.

His shouting voice startles Mary out of her thoughts. "Thank you Asbury Park!! Goodnight!"

Jesse holds up a finger to her and she nods. Mary waits for him by the stage as he packs up his guitar, talking to his bandmates and some bargoers who congratulate him on an 'awesome set'. Then some man calls Jesse and his band over and whatever he says, it must be good news. When Jesse reaches her, he's bouncing with energy.

"Hey babe," he gives her a quick, familiar kiss. She's still wrapping her mind 'babe'. He's never called her an endearment before. "Come and meet the guys!" Jesse takes her by the hand to the band members who are finishing packing up. "Hey guys, this is Mary. Mary, this is Sam, Billy and Kenny."

They exchange greetings and soon everyone goes their separate ways, with vague mentions of 'New York' on their lips. When Mary and Jesse exit the bar she feels dizzy.

Jesse stores his guitar into his truck and takes her in his arms, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around. She can't help but laugh.

"So?" He asks breathlessly as he places her down, their faces almost touching. "What did you think?"

"I thought you were brilliant. Your songs are … gorgeous."

"Yeah?" he smiles. "Thank you, babe." Mary likes being called that.

They walk along the boardwalk, talking about Jesse's performance. Mary cannot concentrate. Jesse's given her no reason to doubt anything (in fact, just the opposite) yet her mind is treacherous and she's questioning everything. All her insecurities are manifesting, all the old heartbreak. Jesse's next words are the icing on the cake.

"Hey, so, I gotta mini tour coming up. This guy, he's a talent scout with connections to clubs and he approached us tonight about setting some stuff up. First stop is New York City in like a week. We're gonna iron out the rest of the details tomorrow."

Mary's internal reaction can only be described as bittersweet. She shows as much enthusiasm as she can to Jesse yet his words only further solidify her decision. She won't repeat her senior year of high school. Won't let what happened with Bobby happen again. Soon, Jesse will be off on some tour with gorgeous women throwing themselves at him and Mary will be stuck in Freehold with no prospects. It used to be about finding some savior to get out of town; while she still wants out, she wants Jesse more. But she'll give him up to spare being the one who's left waiting for someone that will never return.

He puts his arm around her as they stare out at the ocean. "You okay, babe? You've been real quiet."

"I'm fine."

They walk back to his car. He kisses her passionately against the doorframe, sliding his hand up her bare thigh. She gasps into his mouth. During their relationship they hadn't gone further than some heavy make-out sessions, which consisted of Jesse cupping her breasts over her clothes. Anytime his hands moved lower, however, Mary always caught them. Tonight, she's going to give them what they both want. And unlike with Bobby, it won't be for all the wrong reasons. No, this will be as much for her as it is for Jesse. This will be good-bye.

*******

V. _It's a town full of losers and we're pulling out of here to win_

The next day, Jesse and his band meet with John to finalize the details of a minor tour. It will be on the east coast to start at small clubs as an opening act with the potential for expansion. John was also going to give their demo to one of his friends at Columbia Records. Jesse feels like his life is finally going somewhere. He then begins to think about Mary and the way her body moved beneath his last night in the backseat of his Chevy. He didn't want to examine why it felt so different than the other times he'd had sex; didn't want to think of why he thought about Mary almost as much as playing guitar and singing. Afterward, he'd thought he'd heard her sniffling.

"Are you okay?" he'd asked her.

"Yeah, perfect." Her voice had sounded wistful.

"You are," he'd said, taking her face in his hands and kisses her intently. "You're incredible."

It was the closest he could get to the words he was sure she wanted to hear.

After leaving John's office, he calls Mary from a pay phone. Her mom picks up; he's never talked to her before. She says Mary couldn't come to the phone but will take a message. That night Jesse sits in his room playing guitar yet wanting only to see Mary. He checks the time. 9:04 and she still hadn't called. He shrugs it off and puts on a Dylan record, strumming along to the melody.

Two days later Jesse still has not heard from Mary. Now he was suspicious. Wasn't this supposed to be the other way around? The guy not calling the girl after he finally sleeps with her?

On the fourth night Jesse decides, fuck it, and drives to her house. Her father (of course it would be her father) opens the door.

"Good evening, Mr. Kelly, uh, I'm Jesse. Is Mary home?"

Mr. Kelly gives Jesse a once over, taking in his leather jacket and beat-up jeans and Jesse knows in that instance that even though this man was a Slummer himself, Jesse would never be good enough for his little girl.

Before Mr. Kelly can say anything, Mary appears behind her father. "I got it, dad."

Mary closes the door screen door behind her and they stand on the front porch.

"What are you doing here?"

Now Jesse is pissed off. "Let's see, I'm visiting my girlfriend who's been avoiding me for four days."

Mary walks to the edge of the porch and stares out into the darkness. "Go home, Jesse."

"The hell I will!"

Mary turns to him, eyes hard. "Lower your voice. Please."

"What the hell is going on, Mary?"

"It's over, okay. I don't want to see you anymore."

She starts to turn again, but he stops her, spinning her around and gently taking hold of her shoulders. "No, it's not okay. Why are you so scared?"

As their eyes lock, she sighs, finally breaking her mask of indifference. "I'm not right for you, Jesse. We both know that. You're fast cars, bars, and guitars and I'm just some little girl playing dress up with stuffed animals still in my room. Except I feel so old, Jesse. I feel like my life has already passed me by and I'm only 21 fucking years old. It was fun while it lasted but let's be realistic. I'm gonna grow old in Freehold and you're gonna be rich and famous. You won't even remember me in a few months."

"Mary…"

Her eyes well up with tears. "Goodbye, Jesse." She runs into the house, the screen and front doors both slamming in her wake.

Jesse stands there for long minutes, staring. Finally, he gets into his car and drives home, his mind racing. She was pushing him away, no doubt. But why? He remembered when she finally opened up one night about her failed relationships, particularly Bobby Reese. She mentioned how her goal was to get out of Freehold at all costs. They had bonded over that. The next few days Jesse was simply going through the motions. His dad wasn't happy that he was leaving the shop to pursue is 'foolish dream' and his mom simply cried whenever she saw him. His mind kept going back to Mary. Then Saturday came and Jesse and boys were heading to New York to start their tour. He packed his guitar and some clothes and told his parents he didn't know when he'd be back.

Before leaving his house, he called the guys and said he'd meet them at their hotel in New York; he had a stop to make first. He knew Mary loved him, there was no question of that. What he refused to admit until now was he loved her as well. There was something incredibly unique about her. Mary felt her fate was determined. She felt her life was already over at 21. Jesse disagreed. If he can make it out of this damn town, anyone can. Mary could be his background dancer, maybe even singer. They'd make it work. This was their chance. He knew she'd have to leave her family, and maybe they'd tell her she's breaking their hearts. He knew she'd have to choose him and uncertainty over everything. He hoped she was ready to do so.

Jesse drives up the dusty beach road but pulls around to the back of Mary's house. As he walks toward her porch, he hears 'Only the Lonely' emanating from the radio. He takes a deep breath.

The screen door slams.

*******

THE BEGINNING.

*******

lyrics

_The screen door slams_  
Mary's dress waves  
Like a vision she dances across the porch  
As the radio plays  
Roy Orbison singing for the lonely  
Hey that's me and I want you only  
Don't turn me home again  
I just can't face myself alone again  
Don't run back inside  
darling you know just what I'm here for  
So you're scared and you're thinking  
That maybe we ain't that young anymore  
Show a little faith, there's magic in the night  
You ain't a beauty, but hey you're alright  
Oh and that's alright with me

You can hide 'neath your covers  
And study your pain  
Make crosses from your lovers  
Throw roses in the rain  
Waste your summer praying in vain  
For a savior to rise from these streets  
Well now I'm no hero  
That's understood  
All the redemption I can offer, girl  
Is beneath this dirty hood  
With a chance to make it good somehow  
Hey what else can we do now  
Except roll down the window  
And let the wind blow back your hair  
Well the night's busting open  
These two lanes will take us anywhere  
We got one last chance to make it real  
To trade in these wings on some wheels  
Climb in back  
Heaven's waiting on down the tracks  
Oh oh come take my hand  
Riding out tonight to case the promised land  
Oh oh Thunder Road, oh Thunder Road  
oh Thunder Road  
Lying out there like a killer in the sun  
Hey I know it's late we can make it if we run  
Oh Thunder Road, sit tight take hold  
Thunder Road

Well I got this guitar  
And I learned how to make it talk  
And my car's out back  
If you're ready to take that long walk  
From your front porch to my front seat  
The door's open but the ride it ain't free  
And I know you're lonely  
For words that I ain't spoken  
But tonight we'll be free  
All the promises'll be broken  
There were ghosts in the eyes  
Of all the boys you sent away  
They haunt this dusty beach road  
In the skeleton frames of burned out Chevrolets

They scream your name at night in the street  
Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet  
And in the lonely cool before dawn  
You hear their engines roaring on  
But when you get to the porch they're gone  
On the wind, so Mary climb in  
It's a town full of losers  
And we're pulling out of here to win.


End file.
